Publication Citation: Assessment of Structural Systems Evaluation Methods Based on Local Seismic Demands

NIST Authors in Bold

Author(s):

Hai S. Lew;S K. Kunnath;

Title:

Assessment of Structural Systems Evaluation Methods Based on Local Seismic Demands

Published:

December 01, 2002

Abstract:

This paper examines the effectiveness of nonlinear static procedures for seismic response analysis of buildings. Nonlinear static procedures are recommended in FEMA 273 (Guidelines for Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings) for assessing the seismic performance of buildings for a given earthquake hazard representation. Three nonlinear static procedures specified in FEMA 273 are evaluated for their ability to predict deformation demands in terms of inter-story drifts and potential failure mechanisms. Two steel and two reinforced concrete buildings were used to evaluate the procedures. Strong-motion data recorded during the Northridge earthquake are available for these buildings. The study shows that nonlinear static procedures are not effective in predicting inter-story drift demands compared to nonlinear dynamic procedures. Nonlinear static procedures were not able to capture yielding of columns in the upper levels of one of the selected buildings. This inability can be a significant source of concern in identifying local upper story failure mechanisms.